me again, here again... :)
Sep. 20th, 2010 01:18 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
angelshill okay, i realized something while doing this chapter... it's absolutely a bad idea to choose a similar location for two different pairs in one same fic... i had a hard time figuring out how to make this different from the JunxMao beach scene in chapter 8.5...
i guess i should have made 8.5 a trip to Disneyland... but... but... i really, really wanted Jun and Mao's scene to be at the beach, especially since it was Jun's birthday and a trip to such a public place is practically impossible...
and there's no way i could make Maki and Yamapi go to Disneyland specifically because Maki is unable to ride the roller coaster and i wanted their scene to be in Chiba. it has to be in Chiba!
anyway, i hope the two scenes are not too similar (i think so, at least)...
and yeah, before you continue, BE WARNED, i only know 3 things about Chiba:
1. That Aiba is from Chiba,
2. That Aiba loves and is very proud of Chiba,
3. and That you can fish in Chiba (thanks to Ohno) of course
Actually, make that 4 things since i am now aware that Yamapi is also from Chiba... anything else about the place, including topography and the like, i do not know and was unable to make research on so i'm sorry if the scene or the location doesn't sound right...
and so...
TITLE: Baby Steps
CHARACTERS: Arashi members, NewS members, Horikita Maki, Inoue Mao, Oguri Shun, Ikuta Toma, and a whole horde of other Johnny's and female Japanese actresses
PAIRING: Yamashita Tomohisa/Horikita Maki; Matsumoto Jun/Inoue Mao; others
RATINGS: PG
DISCLAIMER: The only thing i own in this story is the plot...
Prologue / Chapter1/ Chapter2/ Chapter3/ Chapter4/ Chapter5/ Chapter6/ Chapter7/ Chapter8/ Chapter8.5/ Chapter9/ Chapter10/ Chapter 11/ Chapter12
Chapter 13
When she had woken up that morning, something told Maki that this would be one of her best days ever. She didn’t question why despite the fact that Riko had said she’d have quite an early morning schedule for today but didn’t tell her for what or where. Mysterious as it was, she was told to simply prepare, dress in casual and comfortable clothes and wait, Riko would come to pick her up.
Which is why when she saw the doorknob turn, she was expecting to see her manager, not Yamapi dressed in clothes as casual as hers.
“Good morning!” he greeted the moment he entered and saw her sitting there. “All set?”
----------
“Where exactly are we going?” Maki asked. She was already seated next to Yamapi in his car.
“You’ll know once we get there…” he simply smiled as he maneuvered the car through Tokyo’s early morning traffic. “You can grab some sleep in the mean time though…”
“Why? How long will it take to get to wherever we’re going?” Maki asked. “And I still cannot believe that Riko-chan had agreed to this!”
Yamapi chuckled. It took him a phone call to Riko just to convince Maki that he was indeed her “appointment” for the day. He wasn’t going to lie and say that convincing Riko had been easy even with Nanba’s help, not when convincing Nanba in the first place had been quite difficult.
Apparently, other than those rumors published by Cyzo and the like, there were also other rumors that had surfaced. Sightings of him picking up Maki from that club that time she was with Sho, of him buying that fruit basket that night he went to her place, basically, the actual events that had occurred had been reported and/or posted by some fans somewhere. Those little things were tied in with the only sighting the jimusho confirmed of him, Maki and Nino eating together and had started some of the fans to speculate that something maybe going on and to that first rumor of Maki being pregnant.
Nanba had told him that some of the fans are already speculating that maybe something is going on and that he (Yamapi) is not just a minor character that just happens to be connected to the situation that is involving Maki. He told him though not to worry about since the jimusho is still about to receive any real or negative reaction from the fans about it. But Nanba wasn’t very much into agreeing with his plans for today until he made a phone call that changed his mind immediately, leading Nanba to helping out with Riko.
But he needn’t tell Maki that. With a smile, he simply said “I have my ways…”
----------
“This is where you grew up?!” Maki asked in amazement as she started wandering through the rooms of the old Japanese style house Yamapi had brought her to.
It was an average sort of house, not too big, not too small, situated in one of the farther locations away from the town proper. It had a really homey feel to it despite the fact that nobody had lived there in years.
“This was the old house…” Yamapi said. “We stayed here until I was about 6 before we transferred to the house where my parents are living now...”
“It must have been great living here…” Maki said as she let her hands touch the surface of the old furniture still housed there. “Near nature, fresh air, fresh everything… Why did you transfer?”
“My father wanted to take less time travelling to work so we transferred to a house in town…” he explained. “Leaving this place behind was hard… My father said his own grandfather grew up here too… The family always tries to visit here every once in a while but my schedule hadn’t allowed me to… This is actually the first time I’ve been here in years…”
Maki, who had by then managed to open one of the windows to the back of the house exclaimed in delight “You lived near the sea?!”
Yamapi chuckled as she stepped next to her to watch the view. A few meters to the back of the house was where the sea kissed the beach.
“Yeah…” he smiled. “That’s why I always enjoyed it here. It’s like being always on vacation…”
“It’s very refreshing!” Maki exclaimed. “I’ve always found the sea very refreshing and relaxing…”
Yamapi smiled, that was exactly what he was hoping for when he thought of bringing her to her hometown. He wanted Maki to relax, to be free from everything worrying her.
“Want to go down there?” he asked.
“Can we?” Maki asked excitedly.
“Of course!” Yamapi chuckled. “I wouldn’t invite you there if we couldn’t…”
“Wouldn’t anyone see us there?”
Yamapi winked. “Not in my private place…”
The twinkle in Maki’s eyes was enough to tell Yamapi that he had the right idea.
----------
“Are you really always such a loner?” Kame asked as he sat on the vacant staff chair next to Maki while Yamapi sat opposite her.
They were at the school where they were shooting the school scenes for Nobuta wo Produce, their first drama collaboration. The director had just called in a 15 minute break to allow the staff to change and fix the camera lenses. The moment that was shouted though, Maki who had been standing between the two of them for the shoot was suddenly gone.
Catching each other’s eye, Kame and Yamapi had decided to join her. They’ve been coaxing Maki to come out of her shell ever since well, sometime between their 10th shooting day to the drama’s first airing day, when they saw how their female co-star would tend to be on her own. The two of them had agreed, although it was Kame who first voiced the idea, that it’s ideal if they could get along with the woman they both are going to be acting against for the next 2 months or so. Besides, kids their age should be bonding together.
Maki looked up in astonishment, seeing them there. “I’m not a loner Kamenashi-san…” she smiled.
“Eh... -san again?” Kame complained. “I’m not that much older than you, you know. This one here, you can call –san” he pointed at Yamapi. “He’s older anyway…”
“Oi! Not by much either!” Yamapi countered. “Besides, I look younger than you,” he smirked.
“Your role requires you to act like a child Yamapi, that doesn’t make you younger…” Kame snorted before turning to Maki again. “But you couldn’t be this shy… I mean, we’ve shot a couple of episodes already you know…”
“Of course, I do Kamenashi-sa—kun…” Maki smiled.”But—“
“But what?”
Maki smiled shyly as she played with her watch. “It’s really not that easy being friends with idols you know…”
“You’re practically an idol too!” Kame chortled. “You just don’t sing and dance. But you’re practically there…”
“No, no…” Maki shook her head. “I’m just an actress. I only act; I don’t do those other stuff you’re doing… Besides, you guys aren’t even normal idols, you’re Johnnys…”
“Ah… The notoriety of being a Johnny…” Yamapi sighed. “We’re normal people too you know…”
“No you’re not…” Maki countered.
“Actually, I think she’s right…” Kame said. “I mean, transparent raincoats, feathers, and bright neon colored… things? No normal person would be willing to wear those, even as Halloween costumes!”
“Good point!” Yamapi said, chuckling as he turned to Maki. “See… Johnnys are just your normal, average bunch of slightly insane idols… We just happen to work under a guy who calls everyone ‘You’…”
Maki couldn’t help but laugh listening to their conversation, but when both men’s attention turned to her again, she couldn’t help but look down. “I guess I’m just shy then… That’s normal…”
“Ok… What would it need for you to completely let your guard down?” Kame asked, turning to fully look at her.
Maki looked up Kame but didn’t speak for a while. It seemed like she was observing him. “I don’t just fully let my guard down…” she smiled. “Lower it maybe, or make it softer, but not fully gone…”
“Ok… So that…” Kame insisted. “What does it need take for you to lower your defenses?”
“Friendship…” Maki said. “Because being friends with someone means you trust them so you can let your guard down…”
“We could be friends…” Kame offered. “If you want to…”
“That would be great…” Maki smiled. “I’d like that…”
“That’s the spirit!” Kame cheered. “We’re all doing this together right Yamapi?”
Yamapi smiled. Turning to Maki, he asked “Just curious, is there anyone you’re willing to fully remove your defenses?”
Maki smiled. “That person must be someone really special…”
Remembering that conversation they had a few years ago, Yamapi just couldn’t help but wonder.
He never counted himself as special to her despite what had happened between the two of them. He reasoned to himself that sometimes, things like that happen because of the heat of the moment or because some things just happen when they do. He had always thought that it was what happened between him and Maki because if real emotions had something to do with what happened, it would have meant that he has feelings for her. He didn’t think that was the case.
Admittedly, he had always seen her different from how he sees his other female co-stars, she had always had a different effect on him as compared to all those he had ever worked with. He reasoned that it was because in a way, Maki had always been there. Then, things changed, they weren’t working with each other anymore, he had his own projects, and he saw her working with some of his other friends.
It’s comparable to the feelings a boy feels for a girl who he has always been best friends with since forever but no longer sees nowadays because she’s found herself a boyfriend.
But seeing how Maki seemed to have abandoned all defenses, as she laughed and smiled while chasing the retreating sea, and giggled as she ran away from the waves that were suddenly chasing her, Yamapi couldn’t really help but ask if he is special to Maki.
And if he is (special to her, that is), why does that thought make him feel like he knows how great it feels to have a full-packed concert at the Kokuritsu Stadium?
----------
“Uwaaaah… This feels great!” Maki cheered as she sat next to Yamapi on the rattan bed in his ‘private place’.
Actually, it was a mini hut situated in a slightly hidden part of the beach, much closer to the trees and a few meters away from the water.
“Having fun?” he asked, smiling though he really didn’t need to, the smile in Maki’s face tells it all.
“Yeah! I haven’t had this much fun in a public place in a long while!” Maki smiled. “How did you find this place?”
“I always come here back when I was still a kid…” Yamapi shrugged. “I remember always running down here whenever my mother gets angry at me for something… I’d hang around here and play with the sea or the sand until my father arrives and calls me home… It was actually dad who made this hut because he said I always get too burnt whenever I hide away from my mother… He said he got tired of seeing me so dark every time…”
Maki turned to her and smiled. “You must have been a really naughty kid if you had to hide from your mother that often…”
“A bit…” Yamapi admitted sheepishly. “But she did say that it was almost as if I was just annoying her so that I’d have reason to run down here and ignore her call until my father arrives…” he smiled reminiscently.
That must have been true to some extent, especially because he remembered that the thing he hated the most about their transfer to town was the fact that he couldn’t go down to the beach as often anymore. The beach, this hut, had always been his special place, the one place he would always look forward to going to. He liked playing with other kids too, of course, but when he’s there, the feel of the wind, the sound of the waves makes him feel like he could do anything, like he could conquer the world.
Yamapi allowed his eyes to wander; he realized he hadn’t brought anyone there actually, not even Toma, who he had pulled along during his home visits for a couple of times already. He never thought he’d be bringing anyone there; it wasn’t part of his itinerary for him and Maki for the day, a trip to the beach, yes, but not to this hut. He was even amazed to see himself leading her there. It was as if he wanted to share with her something.
“Oh, look! There’s a family there!” Maki exclaimed snapping him out of his thoughts.
Following Maki’s pointed hand, he saw that there was indeed a small family having their own fun at the beach near enough for them to see but far enough for them not to be seen. It was a happy family picture; the father was playing catch with his son, a boy around 3 or 4 of age, while the mother watched them happily from under the shade of an umbrella where she was holding a bundle of blankets that appears to be a baby.
Turning to Maki, Yamapi saw that there was a thoughtful look in her eyes as he watched the happy picture; she had a smile on her face but he thought it had a sort of melancholic touch to it and that bothered him. Clearing his throat, he asked
“So, how’s your recent visit to your doctor?”
“Everything’s all right…” Maki said, taking her eyes away from the family as she stretched out to lie on the bed. Seeing that, Yamapi pulled her to use his lap as a pillow instead, and if that surprised Maki, she didn’t show any sign as she continued “She said the baby is very healthy… She might be able to tell the gender in my next few visits to her if I want to…”
Yamapi felt himself smiling, glad that it was the case. “Do you?” he asked.
“Hmm?” Maki murmured who had her eyes closed.
“Find out, I mean… Do you want to find out?” Yamapi asked as his eyes wandered around Maki’s face which is why when Maki opened her eyes, she saw herself looking straight at his.
He felt his breathe hitch when she looked into his eyes, but her next words suddenly made his heart stop.
“Would you want to find out with me?” she asked.
An inexplicable amount of giddiness and warmth and all sorts of fuzzy feelings he never expected to feel burst inside Yampi the moment he heard her say that. It was the first time Maki asked or said anything that gave him the right to shout to the world that he is the father of Maki’s child.
“I’d love to…” he said with a wide smile.
Maki returned back that smile before she closed her eyes and Yamapi was left to watch her face once again. His eyes had slowly gone down to the small baby bump that’s starting slowly show itself when he heard the sound of a kid’s laughter, making him turn to look outside at the family once again. The father was now carrying the kid on his shoulders as they ran around the beach.
“Do you think I’d be a good father?” he asked all of a sudden.
Maki didn’t open her eyes at all when she said, “If you want to, you will be… I’ve always believed that being what you are is a product of your own choice, and not anything else…”
That made Yamapi smile. Of course he wants to be a good father and he will be. His next question, however, made Maki open her eyes again.
“Would you give me a chance to be a good husband?”
“Why, would you be?” Maki challenged.
Yamapi smiled. “Ask me when we’re 80…” he said.
Maki couldn’t help but chuckle, and Yamapi couldn’t help but smile more. It was like they have come to this unspoken understanding about where their relationship is now and where they’re going to. It was the sort of understanding that didn’t need words.
Behind them, by the beach, the father and son had gone to where the mother and baby were seated. The kid started playing with the hands of the baby while the father leaned over to kiss his wife’s cheeks.
----------
“You’ve got a lot of messages!” Maki exclaimed with a laugh as Yamapi’s message alert tone played a couple of times the moment he switched his phone on again.
He knew that it was probably a bad idea turning off his only way to contact or be contacted but he didn’t want to be disturbed by anything or anyone during the whole day. He reasoned to himself that Nanba knew where he was going anyway, so if there was some real kind of trouble, Nanba would know where to get him.
He actually forgot about his phone the moment they got on his car for their return to Tokyo but was reminded of it when Maki’s phone rang. “It’s Kei-chan…” Maki had said as she opened her message. “She said she and Mao-chan is bringing over tonight’s dinner…”
“See what it’s about…” Yamapi said.
“You’re asking me to open your message?” Maki asked in surprise.
“Of course I am... How else would you know what it’s about?” he laughed. When Maki continued to watch him, he added “Come on, it might be important…”
With a bit of a small shrug, Maki moved to get his phone. “It’s Kame-kun…” she announced. “And Toma-kun… Basically, they’re both saying you should drop by Jun-kun’s place if you can when you get back to Tokyo... They didn’t say why though…”
Yamapi sighed. “When did they ever?”
When the car stopped at a red light, Maki asked, “You’re going?”
“I’m wishing I don’t have to…” Yamapi admitted.
“Why?”
Yamapi turned to look at her. The first answer that came to his head was ‘Because I’d rather be here with you…’ but he didn’t say it. Instead, he did the one thing that started this whole thing between him and Maki.
He leaned over to kiss her on the lips.
----------
“You know, I really should check how many copies you guys have made of my key…” Matsujun sighed the moment he entered his apartment and saw Toma, Ryo, and Kame sitting there. “Or just get my locks changed…”
“Come on Jun… You know you like having us around…” Toma chuckled, looking up from the script he was reading. “At least until you convince Mao-chan to move in with you…”
Matsujun snorted but he didn’t disagree, he’s looking forward to the day that when he convinces Mao to move in.
“So what’s the problem this time?” he asked as he crashed next to Kame on the sofa. “What has Yamapi done now?”
“What makes you so sure it’s about Pi again?” Ryo said from where he stood browsing one of his manga sets.
Matsujun snorted. “In the last three times you guys crashed at my place without my knowledge, the two most recent was because of Pi… Nothing much has changed from then…”
“Good point!” Ryo chuckled while Toma said “Well, we’re hoping he’d say something has changed when he comes later tonight… If he comes…”
“Oh, he’s coming all right…” Matsujun said. “Mao-chan and Keiko-chan are heading over to Maki-chan’s place for the night.”
“It’s guaranteed then…” Kame chuckled. “I hope he has some good news… I’d hate to compare him to Bakanishi once again…”
“Yeah… I heard about that…” Toma chuckled. “Speaking of Bakanishi, I thought you said he’s coming back for a visit…”
“Oh he is…” Kame answered. “I think he’d be here before the week ends since he’s meeting with the group by the weekend.”
“How are you guys anyway?” asked Matsujun.
“We’re getting by…” Kame shrugged. “We won’t be competing against Arashi for anything in a while but we’ll get through this… The group will survive… That’s what we all agreed on after Jin told us he wanted to try his luck in the U.S. and we all decided that it’s best if he graduates from the group…”
“You decided that he graduates?” Ryo asked. “I thought that was Johnny-san’s decision…”
“It was but the idea came from all six of us first… The five of us didn’t like the idea of having to wait for Jin again like the last time; Jin didn’t like the idea of making us wait…”
“Well, I don’t know anything about being in a debuted group, but I’m actually amazed that you guys allowed him to go…” Toma admitted.
“That was what he wanted to do…” Kame said. “He wanted to fly, we weren’t going to stop him from spreading his wings…”
For a while, no one said a word, then, all of a sudden, a lively voice coming from the kitchen’s direction disrupted the silence.
“Why so glum kids?! We’re having steak and curry tonight!”
“Matsuoka-kun?!” Matsujun exclaimed.
“Oh yeah!” Toma exclaimed. “We forgot to say that Matsuoka-kun was in the kitchen.”
~~~~~
that's chapter 13! comments/critics are always loved... :)
i guess i should have made 8.5 a trip to Disneyland... but... but... i really, really wanted Jun and Mao's scene to be at the beach, especially since it was Jun's birthday and a trip to such a public place is practically impossible...
and there's no way i could make Maki and Yamapi go to Disneyland specifically because Maki is unable to ride the roller coaster and i wanted their scene to be in Chiba. it has to be in Chiba!
anyway, i hope the two scenes are not too similar (i think so, at least)...
and yeah, before you continue, BE WARNED, i only know 3 things about Chiba:
1. That Aiba is from Chiba,
2. That Aiba loves and is very proud of Chiba,
3. and That you can fish in Chiba (thanks to Ohno) of course
Actually, make that 4 things since i am now aware that Yamapi is also from Chiba... anything else about the place, including topography and the like, i do not know and was unable to make research on so i'm sorry if the scene or the location doesn't sound right...
and so...
TITLE: Baby Steps
CHARACTERS: Arashi members, NewS members, Horikita Maki, Inoue Mao, Oguri Shun, Ikuta Toma, and a whole horde of other Johnny's and female Japanese actresses
PAIRING: Yamashita Tomohisa/Horikita Maki; Matsumoto Jun/Inoue Mao; others
RATINGS: PG
DISCLAIMER: The only thing i own in this story is the plot...
Prologue / Chapter1/ Chapter2/ Chapter3/ Chapter4/ Chapter5/ Chapter6/ Chapter7/ Chapter8/ Chapter8.5/ Chapter9/ Chapter10/ Chapter 11/ Chapter12
Chapter 13
When she had woken up that morning, something told Maki that this would be one of her best days ever. She didn’t question why despite the fact that Riko had said she’d have quite an early morning schedule for today but didn’t tell her for what or where. Mysterious as it was, she was told to simply prepare, dress in casual and comfortable clothes and wait, Riko would come to pick her up.
Which is why when she saw the doorknob turn, she was expecting to see her manager, not Yamapi dressed in clothes as casual as hers.
“Good morning!” he greeted the moment he entered and saw her sitting there. “All set?”
----------
“Where exactly are we going?” Maki asked. She was already seated next to Yamapi in his car.
“You’ll know once we get there…” he simply smiled as he maneuvered the car through Tokyo’s early morning traffic. “You can grab some sleep in the mean time though…”
“Why? How long will it take to get to wherever we’re going?” Maki asked. “And I still cannot believe that Riko-chan had agreed to this!”
Yamapi chuckled. It took him a phone call to Riko just to convince Maki that he was indeed her “appointment” for the day. He wasn’t going to lie and say that convincing Riko had been easy even with Nanba’s help, not when convincing Nanba in the first place had been quite difficult.
Apparently, other than those rumors published by Cyzo and the like, there were also other rumors that had surfaced. Sightings of him picking up Maki from that club that time she was with Sho, of him buying that fruit basket that night he went to her place, basically, the actual events that had occurred had been reported and/or posted by some fans somewhere. Those little things were tied in with the only sighting the jimusho confirmed of him, Maki and Nino eating together and had started some of the fans to speculate that something maybe going on and to that first rumor of Maki being pregnant.
Nanba had told him that some of the fans are already speculating that maybe something is going on and that he (Yamapi) is not just a minor character that just happens to be connected to the situation that is involving Maki. He told him though not to worry about since the jimusho is still about to receive any real or negative reaction from the fans about it. But Nanba wasn’t very much into agreeing with his plans for today until he made a phone call that changed his mind immediately, leading Nanba to helping out with Riko.
But he needn’t tell Maki that. With a smile, he simply said “I have my ways…”
----------
“This is where you grew up?!” Maki asked in amazement as she started wandering through the rooms of the old Japanese style house Yamapi had brought her to.
It was an average sort of house, not too big, not too small, situated in one of the farther locations away from the town proper. It had a really homey feel to it despite the fact that nobody had lived there in years.
“This was the old house…” Yamapi said. “We stayed here until I was about 6 before we transferred to the house where my parents are living now...”
“It must have been great living here…” Maki said as she let her hands touch the surface of the old furniture still housed there. “Near nature, fresh air, fresh everything… Why did you transfer?”
“My father wanted to take less time travelling to work so we transferred to a house in town…” he explained. “Leaving this place behind was hard… My father said his own grandfather grew up here too… The family always tries to visit here every once in a while but my schedule hadn’t allowed me to… This is actually the first time I’ve been here in years…”
Maki, who had by then managed to open one of the windows to the back of the house exclaimed in delight “You lived near the sea?!”
Yamapi chuckled as she stepped next to her to watch the view. A few meters to the back of the house was where the sea kissed the beach.
“Yeah…” he smiled. “That’s why I always enjoyed it here. It’s like being always on vacation…”
“It’s very refreshing!” Maki exclaimed. “I’ve always found the sea very refreshing and relaxing…”
Yamapi smiled, that was exactly what he was hoping for when he thought of bringing her to her hometown. He wanted Maki to relax, to be free from everything worrying her.
“Want to go down there?” he asked.
“Can we?” Maki asked excitedly.
“Of course!” Yamapi chuckled. “I wouldn’t invite you there if we couldn’t…”
“Wouldn’t anyone see us there?”
Yamapi winked. “Not in my private place…”
The twinkle in Maki’s eyes was enough to tell Yamapi that he had the right idea.
----------
“Are you really always such a loner?” Kame asked as he sat on the vacant staff chair next to Maki while Yamapi sat opposite her.
They were at the school where they were shooting the school scenes for Nobuta wo Produce, their first drama collaboration. The director had just called in a 15 minute break to allow the staff to change and fix the camera lenses. The moment that was shouted though, Maki who had been standing between the two of them for the shoot was suddenly gone.
Catching each other’s eye, Kame and Yamapi had decided to join her. They’ve been coaxing Maki to come out of her shell ever since well, sometime between their 10th shooting day to the drama’s first airing day, when they saw how their female co-star would tend to be on her own. The two of them had agreed, although it was Kame who first voiced the idea, that it’s ideal if they could get along with the woman they both are going to be acting against for the next 2 months or so. Besides, kids their age should be bonding together.
Maki looked up in astonishment, seeing them there. “I’m not a loner Kamenashi-san…” she smiled.
“Eh... -san again?” Kame complained. “I’m not that much older than you, you know. This one here, you can call –san” he pointed at Yamapi. “He’s older anyway…”
“Oi! Not by much either!” Yamapi countered. “Besides, I look younger than you,” he smirked.
“Your role requires you to act like a child Yamapi, that doesn’t make you younger…” Kame snorted before turning to Maki again. “But you couldn’t be this shy… I mean, we’ve shot a couple of episodes already you know…”
“Of course, I do Kamenashi-sa—kun…” Maki smiled.”But—“
“But what?”
Maki smiled shyly as she played with her watch. “It’s really not that easy being friends with idols you know…”
“You’re practically an idol too!” Kame chortled. “You just don’t sing and dance. But you’re practically there…”
“No, no…” Maki shook her head. “I’m just an actress. I only act; I don’t do those other stuff you’re doing… Besides, you guys aren’t even normal idols, you’re Johnnys…”
“Ah… The notoriety of being a Johnny…” Yamapi sighed. “We’re normal people too you know…”
“No you’re not…” Maki countered.
“Actually, I think she’s right…” Kame said. “I mean, transparent raincoats, feathers, and bright neon colored… things? No normal person would be willing to wear those, even as Halloween costumes!”
“Good point!” Yamapi said, chuckling as he turned to Maki. “See… Johnnys are just your normal, average bunch of slightly insane idols… We just happen to work under a guy who calls everyone ‘You’…”
Maki couldn’t help but laugh listening to their conversation, but when both men’s attention turned to her again, she couldn’t help but look down. “I guess I’m just shy then… That’s normal…”
“Ok… What would it need for you to completely let your guard down?” Kame asked, turning to fully look at her.
Maki looked up Kame but didn’t speak for a while. It seemed like she was observing him. “I don’t just fully let my guard down…” she smiled. “Lower it maybe, or make it softer, but not fully gone…”
“Ok… So that…” Kame insisted. “What does it need take for you to lower your defenses?”
“Friendship…” Maki said. “Because being friends with someone means you trust them so you can let your guard down…”
“We could be friends…” Kame offered. “If you want to…”
“That would be great…” Maki smiled. “I’d like that…”
“That’s the spirit!” Kame cheered. “We’re all doing this together right Yamapi?”
Yamapi smiled. Turning to Maki, he asked “Just curious, is there anyone you’re willing to fully remove your defenses?”
Maki smiled. “That person must be someone really special…”
Remembering that conversation they had a few years ago, Yamapi just couldn’t help but wonder.
He never counted himself as special to her despite what had happened between the two of them. He reasoned to himself that sometimes, things like that happen because of the heat of the moment or because some things just happen when they do. He had always thought that it was what happened between him and Maki because if real emotions had something to do with what happened, it would have meant that he has feelings for her. He didn’t think that was the case.
Admittedly, he had always seen her different from how he sees his other female co-stars, she had always had a different effect on him as compared to all those he had ever worked with. He reasoned that it was because in a way, Maki had always been there. Then, things changed, they weren’t working with each other anymore, he had his own projects, and he saw her working with some of his other friends.
It’s comparable to the feelings a boy feels for a girl who he has always been best friends with since forever but no longer sees nowadays because she’s found herself a boyfriend.
But seeing how Maki seemed to have abandoned all defenses, as she laughed and smiled while chasing the retreating sea, and giggled as she ran away from the waves that were suddenly chasing her, Yamapi couldn’t really help but ask if he is special to Maki.
And if he is (special to her, that is), why does that thought make him feel like he knows how great it feels to have a full-packed concert at the Kokuritsu Stadium?
----------
“Uwaaaah… This feels great!” Maki cheered as she sat next to Yamapi on the rattan bed in his ‘private place’.
Actually, it was a mini hut situated in a slightly hidden part of the beach, much closer to the trees and a few meters away from the water.
“Having fun?” he asked, smiling though he really didn’t need to, the smile in Maki’s face tells it all.
“Yeah! I haven’t had this much fun in a public place in a long while!” Maki smiled. “How did you find this place?”
“I always come here back when I was still a kid…” Yamapi shrugged. “I remember always running down here whenever my mother gets angry at me for something… I’d hang around here and play with the sea or the sand until my father arrives and calls me home… It was actually dad who made this hut because he said I always get too burnt whenever I hide away from my mother… He said he got tired of seeing me so dark every time…”
Maki turned to her and smiled. “You must have been a really naughty kid if you had to hide from your mother that often…”
“A bit…” Yamapi admitted sheepishly. “But she did say that it was almost as if I was just annoying her so that I’d have reason to run down here and ignore her call until my father arrives…” he smiled reminiscently.
That must have been true to some extent, especially because he remembered that the thing he hated the most about their transfer to town was the fact that he couldn’t go down to the beach as often anymore. The beach, this hut, had always been his special place, the one place he would always look forward to going to. He liked playing with other kids too, of course, but when he’s there, the feel of the wind, the sound of the waves makes him feel like he could do anything, like he could conquer the world.
Yamapi allowed his eyes to wander; he realized he hadn’t brought anyone there actually, not even Toma, who he had pulled along during his home visits for a couple of times already. He never thought he’d be bringing anyone there; it wasn’t part of his itinerary for him and Maki for the day, a trip to the beach, yes, but not to this hut. He was even amazed to see himself leading her there. It was as if he wanted to share with her something.
“Oh, look! There’s a family there!” Maki exclaimed snapping him out of his thoughts.
Following Maki’s pointed hand, he saw that there was indeed a small family having their own fun at the beach near enough for them to see but far enough for them not to be seen. It was a happy family picture; the father was playing catch with his son, a boy around 3 or 4 of age, while the mother watched them happily from under the shade of an umbrella where she was holding a bundle of blankets that appears to be a baby.
Turning to Maki, Yamapi saw that there was a thoughtful look in her eyes as he watched the happy picture; she had a smile on her face but he thought it had a sort of melancholic touch to it and that bothered him. Clearing his throat, he asked
“So, how’s your recent visit to your doctor?”
“Everything’s all right…” Maki said, taking her eyes away from the family as she stretched out to lie on the bed. Seeing that, Yamapi pulled her to use his lap as a pillow instead, and if that surprised Maki, she didn’t show any sign as she continued “She said the baby is very healthy… She might be able to tell the gender in my next few visits to her if I want to…”
Yamapi felt himself smiling, glad that it was the case. “Do you?” he asked.
“Hmm?” Maki murmured who had her eyes closed.
“Find out, I mean… Do you want to find out?” Yamapi asked as his eyes wandered around Maki’s face which is why when Maki opened her eyes, she saw herself looking straight at his.
He felt his breathe hitch when she looked into his eyes, but her next words suddenly made his heart stop.
“Would you want to find out with me?” she asked.
An inexplicable amount of giddiness and warmth and all sorts of fuzzy feelings he never expected to feel burst inside Yampi the moment he heard her say that. It was the first time Maki asked or said anything that gave him the right to shout to the world that he is the father of Maki’s child.
“I’d love to…” he said with a wide smile.
Maki returned back that smile before she closed her eyes and Yamapi was left to watch her face once again. His eyes had slowly gone down to the small baby bump that’s starting slowly show itself when he heard the sound of a kid’s laughter, making him turn to look outside at the family once again. The father was now carrying the kid on his shoulders as they ran around the beach.
“Do you think I’d be a good father?” he asked all of a sudden.
Maki didn’t open her eyes at all when she said, “If you want to, you will be… I’ve always believed that being what you are is a product of your own choice, and not anything else…”
That made Yamapi smile. Of course he wants to be a good father and he will be. His next question, however, made Maki open her eyes again.
“Would you give me a chance to be a good husband?”
“Why, would you be?” Maki challenged.
Yamapi smiled. “Ask me when we’re 80…” he said.
Maki couldn’t help but chuckle, and Yamapi couldn’t help but smile more. It was like they have come to this unspoken understanding about where their relationship is now and where they’re going to. It was the sort of understanding that didn’t need words.
Behind them, by the beach, the father and son had gone to where the mother and baby were seated. The kid started playing with the hands of the baby while the father leaned over to kiss his wife’s cheeks.
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“You’ve got a lot of messages!” Maki exclaimed with a laugh as Yamapi’s message alert tone played a couple of times the moment he switched his phone on again.
He knew that it was probably a bad idea turning off his only way to contact or be contacted but he didn’t want to be disturbed by anything or anyone during the whole day. He reasoned to himself that Nanba knew where he was going anyway, so if there was some real kind of trouble, Nanba would know where to get him.
He actually forgot about his phone the moment they got on his car for their return to Tokyo but was reminded of it when Maki’s phone rang. “It’s Kei-chan…” Maki had said as she opened her message. “She said she and Mao-chan is bringing over tonight’s dinner…”
“See what it’s about…” Yamapi said.
“You’re asking me to open your message?” Maki asked in surprise.
“Of course I am... How else would you know what it’s about?” he laughed. When Maki continued to watch him, he added “Come on, it might be important…”
With a bit of a small shrug, Maki moved to get his phone. “It’s Kame-kun…” she announced. “And Toma-kun… Basically, they’re both saying you should drop by Jun-kun’s place if you can when you get back to Tokyo... They didn’t say why though…”
Yamapi sighed. “When did they ever?”
When the car stopped at a red light, Maki asked, “You’re going?”
“I’m wishing I don’t have to…” Yamapi admitted.
“Why?”
Yamapi turned to look at her. The first answer that came to his head was ‘Because I’d rather be here with you…’ but he didn’t say it. Instead, he did the one thing that started this whole thing between him and Maki.
He leaned over to kiss her on the lips.
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“You know, I really should check how many copies you guys have made of my key…” Matsujun sighed the moment he entered his apartment and saw Toma, Ryo, and Kame sitting there. “Or just get my locks changed…”
“Come on Jun… You know you like having us around…” Toma chuckled, looking up from the script he was reading. “At least until you convince Mao-chan to move in with you…”
Matsujun snorted but he didn’t disagree, he’s looking forward to the day that when he convinces Mao to move in.
“So what’s the problem this time?” he asked as he crashed next to Kame on the sofa. “What has Yamapi done now?”
“What makes you so sure it’s about Pi again?” Ryo said from where he stood browsing one of his manga sets.
Matsujun snorted. “In the last three times you guys crashed at my place without my knowledge, the two most recent was because of Pi… Nothing much has changed from then…”
“Good point!” Ryo chuckled while Toma said “Well, we’re hoping he’d say something has changed when he comes later tonight… If he comes…”
“Oh, he’s coming all right…” Matsujun said. “Mao-chan and Keiko-chan are heading over to Maki-chan’s place for the night.”
“It’s guaranteed then…” Kame chuckled. “I hope he has some good news… I’d hate to compare him to Bakanishi once again…”
“Yeah… I heard about that…” Toma chuckled. “Speaking of Bakanishi, I thought you said he’s coming back for a visit…”
“Oh he is…” Kame answered. “I think he’d be here before the week ends since he’s meeting with the group by the weekend.”
“How are you guys anyway?” asked Matsujun.
“We’re getting by…” Kame shrugged. “We won’t be competing against Arashi for anything in a while but we’ll get through this… The group will survive… That’s what we all agreed on after Jin told us he wanted to try his luck in the U.S. and we all decided that it’s best if he graduates from the group…”
“You decided that he graduates?” Ryo asked. “I thought that was Johnny-san’s decision…”
“It was but the idea came from all six of us first… The five of us didn’t like the idea of having to wait for Jin again like the last time; Jin didn’t like the idea of making us wait…”
“Well, I don’t know anything about being in a debuted group, but I’m actually amazed that you guys allowed him to go…” Toma admitted.
“That was what he wanted to do…” Kame said. “He wanted to fly, we weren’t going to stop him from spreading his wings…”
For a while, no one said a word, then, all of a sudden, a lively voice coming from the kitchen’s direction disrupted the silence.
“Why so glum kids?! We’re having steak and curry tonight!”
“Matsuoka-kun?!” Matsujun exclaimed.
“Oh yeah!” Toma exclaimed. “We forgot to say that Matsuoka-kun was in the kitchen.”
~~~~~
that's chapter 13! comments/critics are always loved... :)
